An Arrancar's Tale
by steinerdavion2183
Summary: A newly Hollow is formed in Peru, and in a few years time, becomes an Arrancar. Follow his journey in Hueco Mundo as he finds his place within the ranks of Aizen's army. Chapter 3 Added.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to the wonderful Tite Kubo-sensei, while my OC… well, naturally belongs to me. This is my first Bleach Story, and as usual this is going to be slightly different from the Bleach canon. Just wanted you all to know that.

_Thoughts_

Speaking

_Hollow Speaking_

**Zanpakutou Speaking**

An Arrancar's Tale

Prologue

Emptiness… that was what Toshi felt after some time. Was this what death feels like? He did not know… though he had expected to be sent to heaven or something. He was an avid follower of the Shinto religion, and he half expected some messengers from heaven to show up and bring him to wherever he was supposed to go after death.

After a while, he opened his eyes and blinked at what he discovered for himself. He was standing in a ruined temple, the place where he and his team were sent for an important archeological dig in South America. Wasn't he supposed to be dead? He did not know what was going on… but the clinking of chains alerted him to something. He looked down and saw some kind of hexagonal plug over where his heart should be, with a chain that is severed, and he could see that the other half of the broken chain was located below a pile of rubble, and to his shock, he could see a hand, smeared with blood sticking out of an exposed part of the rubble.

He then remembered… what transpired during the expedition. There was a small tremor off the coast of Peru which shook the foundation of the ruins that they were exploring. Most of the archeological team got out… but unfortunately, he did not, for he risked his life to save the leader of the expedition from a falling ceiling piece that was shaken loose by the tremor.

Though he supposed it is rather… ironic and fitting that he died in a ruin. It's a bit morbid, now that he thought about it, but… he supposed that there was nothing he could do about it.

After all, he was the son of Hana and Benkei Kitano… two rather up and coming archeologists from Japan. Being the only child meant that he always got his fair share of attention, though he really hated the time he spent at university. Some of his peers, almost regarded him snidely, sometimes saying that he only got in because of his parents and he had an unfair advantage over them all.

He really got upset over those remarks, but he forced himself to ignore those remarks, and proved them wrong by graduating with honors with his own effort. Shortly after, his parents sent him along with a friend of theirs to Peru to uncover the mystery of the Macchu Pichu… and that is where he was now, up till his death.

Wondering why he was still here, he started wandering through the ruins, and figuring out that he was a spirit, or ghost right now, he started exploring the site once more. It was a thrill of course, since being able to pass through walls, he is able to explore deeper into the ruins, and who knows…. He could probably see most of the world's ruins easily! But then he sighed, since he knew, even if he could do that, or found some ruins that were still undiscovered, he won't be able to be acknowledged as its finder.

He then shook his head at such thoughts. After all, he wasn't a person that was after fame or fortune of that sort… though it would be nice if he did. Shaking his head to clear himself of such thoughts, he began to venture deeper into the ruins… unaware that something was watching him from the shadows.

The figure in the shadows had a sinister gleam in its eyes, its face grinning as it had found some food. This newly formed ghost… seemed to have some reiatsu in it… making it even sweeter. It soon slithered slowly out of the shadows and started stalking after Toshi, eager to make him its meal.

As he wandered deeper into the ruins, Toshi stopped every now and then, to study the parts of the ruins that he and his team did not get a chance to study, due to the events that had caused his early demise. After some time, something niggled at the back of his mind, and he had a feeling that he was being watched by something… or someone.

He started to look around, as the feeling of nervousness increased, and he got the feeling that something… something evil was stalking him. He did not know why he felt this way, but he knew that if he did not quickly get out of here, he would be in deep trouble.

At that moment, he decided that his current safety is definitely more important than his curiosity… and he quickly turned and ran towards the entrance…. just in time to evade something striking the spot that he once occupied. He quickly put some distance between whatever had just struck the spot that he was a few moments earlier and turned to get a look at his assailant… and froze in front of the abomination that was facing him now.

It looked like a serpentine like monster, with body patterns that resembled the venomous pit vipers found everywhere in the world. What makes it different than any normal snake is that it is as large as those movie snake monsters. Secondly it has two hands on its sides, ending in sharp claws and its fingertips look like they were dripping with some kind of liquid.

There was also a small circular hole located on its chest, something that looked strange, and yet so… fitting for a monster to have. Finally, its face was covered with a skull white bony mask, oddly with even teeth, but what was chilling was the twin unblinking yellow eyes that was sinisterly sizing him up, and Toshi had a sinking feeling that this being… whatever it is… was out to get him.

"_Hssss… how interesssting… I actually misssssed…._**" **The snake like creature hissed in amusement. **"**_Not bad for a newly deceasssssed ssssoul… but don't be to happy, mortal… that wassss your only freebie…. Nexxxt time I won't missss._**"**

Toshi slowly backed away from the monstrosity as it hissed, and was shocked to hear words come out from its mouth. "Y…you can s… speak? W… who… what are you? Don't come closer! I'm warning you!" He said as his voice trembled, a mixture of false bravado and fear was rising up from deep inside his heart.

The monster sniffed the air for a moment, and then hissed in pleasure. **"**_Ahh, you are afraid of me…. Good… and yes, I can ssspeak, foolisssh mortal. All of my kind can… well, perharpssss not all of ussss… but ssssome of ussss…._**" **

It paused for a moment, before speaking once more. **"**_I and my kind are known assss Hollowssss to ssssome… but that issss not important now… what isss more important…. IS TO HAVE YOU FOR DINNER!_**" **

The snake like Hollow shrieked and lunged towards Toshi once more, and he quickly dodged, not wanting to become food for this… Hollow or whatever it called itself. He managed to dodge to the side, but one of the Hollow's fingers managed to catch him on his side, tearing a gash on his shirt, and the liquid burned against his skin.

He winced as he gripped his side, and he was caught up in his pain, that he did not notice that the chain that hung from his chest was starting to corrode, small mouths slowly eating up sections of it, until they disappeared. Ironically, the serpent like Hollow had just started a reaction that sped up the corrosion of the Chain of Fate… which would spell its own doom.

After dodging for some time, the snake like Hollow somehow managed to catch up, and gripped his leg, causing him to fall down flat on his back, hissing in pain as its touch, and the liquid, which he suspected to be some kind of acid.

The Hollow hissed in amusement as it peered down on its soon to be dinner, its acid like venom dripping from its mouth, unknowingly landing on Toshi's Chain of Fate, further corroding it, which Toshi did not know, but felt a burning pain against his chest.

"_Nowhere to run now, little morsssseel… now… why don't you jusssst accept your fate and let me eat you._**" **The Hollow hissed triumphantly as it was quite fond in playing these kind of mind games with its potential prey.

In these dire moments, Toshi's mind began to spring to his action. _So… this is the end of me… I have so many dreams to pursue… so many things I want to do… but now… I am dead…. And even in death, I cannot even wander this world in peace or pass on to a better place…"_

His mind traveled also towards his parents… no doubt that they would have heard about his death by now… he could imagine they would be devastated over his death. After all, they were pretty close as a family. His mother would be in tears right now… something that he hated to see.

And there is Miyuki…. his girlfriend and future fiancée… their families have been close, and they were planning to at least take a look at some wedding dresses, and all that for the wedding next summer… but now, all that is going to be dashed…. Thanks to this…. THING! A wave of depression and anger flowed through him, further corroding away his Chain of Fate.

He then glared at his captor, anger building up deep inside of him, further weakening the chain that he had on his chest. "You…. Monster. You have done this many times, haven't you? Not letting people die in peace…. Or pass on to the next life because they deserve it… because of your selfish desires! Am I right to say this, Hollow?"

The Hollow once again hissed in amusement, sending acid like venom to further spray against Toshi's body, making him wince again in pain. **"**_My…. Sssuch sssspirit even when you are at the edge of being devoured…. But I sssupossse telling you would be a consssolation for you to accept your fate assss my food. Yess indeed…. Mortal, you are abssssollutely right. Assss you humansss say, guilty asss charged._**"**

"I see…." Toshi said calmly as he closed his eyes, as if the Hollow's answer had made him accept his fate… but suddenly he opened his eyes, full of burning hate towards the monster that was about to devour him, taking the Hollow aback for a moment. "You are despicable, Hollow-san…. For your admission of your crimes…. I won't forgive you… I WON'T FORGIVE YOU YOU UNDERSTSAND… EVEN IF I DO END UP AS YOUR FOOD, I WILL NEVER, EVER, **FORGIVE YOU!"**

The last part was said with such hatred and venom that the Chains of Fate that was on Toshi's chain quickly shattered, and the heart plug was destroyed, leaving a neat hole where his heart would be. With a scream of anguish directed at the snake Hollow, Toshi's body quickly broke apart into spirit particles… only to reform a few paces away from his previous spot.

White liquid suddenly gushed out from his mouth and enveloped his face, alarming the snake like hollow, who didn't anticipate this in his carefully laid plan. To its horror, once the mask had enveloped the young man's face, his body began to change. Now the form of a large raccoon dog, slightly larger than it stared at it, its yellow eyes burning with a deep hate for it.

"_Such power…._**" **The newly hollowfied Toshi spoke for the first time. **"**_And such hunger…. Now I understand why you Hollows need to consume souls…. But my stance from earlier has not changed….. I must thank you for making me into one of you somehow…. Since it gives me a chance to pay you back for all those innocent lives you took!_**"**

The hollowfied Toshi bellowed out its last few words, as it fixed its eyes on its new prey and started to run towards it, eager to slay it, to ease his newly acquired hunger, and to gain revenge for the souls that this particular Hollow had doomed to become nothing more than food to satisfy its hunger.

End of Prologue

Author's Note: This is my first attempt at writing a Bleach fanfic, so do bear with me if I make any mistakes. Like so many of my fics, I seldom follow the canon storyline since I like to do my own version and twists to the storyline. Though I might stick to canon in certain phases of this fanfic as I go along, so those who expect a canon storyline should consider not reading this. Now that I made myself clear… please do read and review this story, and I do need some beta readers for this story as well. For those who are interested, do drop me a PM as well as your e-mail inside your PMs so that I can contact you when I have a chapter ready to be beta read and edited. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to the wonderful Tite Kubo-sensei, while my OC… well, naturally belongs to me. This is my first Bleach Story, and as usual this is going to be slightly different from the Bleach canon. Just wanted you all to know that.

_Thoughts_

Speaking

_Hollow Speaking_

**Zanpakutou Speaking**

An Arrancar's Tale

Chapter 1

The snake like hollow tensed itself as this new Hollow made a straight charge at it. This was an unexpected encounter for it. Normally, the souls that he had devoured in the past had no chance to retaliate, as they have been too afraid, and usually ended up an easy snack for the Hollow.

But this… soul was different. Not only that, it turned into a Hollow like itself, which was something it did not expect. Its size, which was slightly larger than itself made it hesitate, though it reassured itself that it was going to be alright. One reason is that it had a rather corrosive venom bite, and secondly, this Hollow was newly formed, and technically weaker than itself.

It dodged Hollow Toshi's initial charge, and striked from the side, plunging its fangs into the new Hollow's side, releasing its venom, before it retreated. _"You surprised me… boy… but sssadly, you made a missstake. You are a new Hollow, while I am at least five years your ssssenior. That poissssson issss going to kill you… and I will enjoy feasssting on you after all."_

Toshi fell silent for a moment, and winced as the venom from the snake invaded his body, and he felt the burning sensation once more… but it soon subsided after some time. He then looked at the snake Hollow with a bored look. _"Was that supposed to do something to me? If it is, I sure don't see any effects of it." _He then let out a cocky grin. _"Maybe your poison is weakening; old snake… because if that was your best, then I think your days are numbered."_

The snake Hollow was surprised, but then hissed in anger. _"How dare you insult me so, you pipsqueak? And how did you manage to move with the venom inside of you? Answer me!" _It bellowed.

"_Yessshhh, you old people sure are cranky now, aren't you?" _Toshi said rather nonchalantly, making the snake Hollow hiss in anger. _"For your information, you are old…. Since you admitted that yourself…. And secondly, I seem to have something neat called… venom immunity. That means, whatever you throw at me won't work…. But I am straying from the topic here… like I said, my aim is to pay you back for all those souls you have eaten!"_

He soon charged the snake Hollow who was taken by surprise, due to it finding out that this new Hollow had an ability to counter and null its main weapons. It let out a cry as Toshi's razor sharp claws tore at its sides, and though it tried to retaliate, Toshi was swift enough to dodge the snake's attacks despite his size, all the while tearing chunks out of his enemy, by either using his teeth or claws.

Of course, the snake Hollow had managed to land some hits on him, inflicting gashes along his side, which burned slightly due to the acidic property of its touch. Its attempts to kill Toshi though ended in failure, as it was far too injured by this time to do any lasting damage, and could only resign itself to its fate, as Toshi struck the killing blow, stabbing his claws into where its Hollow hole was, and devoured its mask.

It was some time before Toshi had finished devouring the rest of the snake Hollow, and he felt the rush of power from the devoured Hollow, and its devoured souls, which was about 200 or so, give or take, which made him more powerful in the process as well.

Toshi then rationalized in his Hollow mind, that he needs to continue to feed…. But his encounter with the viper like Hollow had changed his priorities somehow. In the limited mind of the Hollow, he recognized that there were other Hollows like this, and so, he made a decision to go after those Hollows.

Secondly, for a Hollow, he was a special case, as normally Hollows would go after their loved ones, but due to the unique circumstances in which he became a Hollow, his aim was now to protect his family at all costs.

And so, he started making his journey back to Japan, eliminating and devouring any Hollows that preyed on innocent people. He also consumed human souls, but focused his attention of murderers, rapists, serial killers and their ilk before they could turn into a Hollow. Why he did this, is that in his mind, he sees them the way he sees the Hollows that he had devoured. Beings that causes the suffering of others… something that he could not tolerate.

Once he returned to Japan, he immediately set himself up in the area where his former fiancée stayed, as well as his family, protecting them the way he could, by devouring any Hollows that encroached the area.

The Shinigami that were sent to patrol the regions that he passed through were perplexed by his behavior. Here was a Hollow that had absolutely no interest in devouring anything other than other Hollows, and the occasional human souls, though they were usually the worst of the worst in society, usually devouring them before they turned into a Hollow, indirectly lessening the burden of the Shinigami that were tasked to patrol their respective areas.

They reported this incident to Soul Society of course, and there was a minor hubbub in the Gotei 13, and Captain Commander Yamamoto had personally ordered the capture of this strange Hollow, to find out why it behaved so oddly.

But by the time the Shinigami ordered arrived, the Hollow was long gone, without a trace, presumably returned to Hueco Mundo… the realm where the Hollows resided. As time passed by, so did the rumor and news of the strange Hollow soon vanish amongst the tons of paperwork that the Gotei 13 Captains had to do.

Meanwhile, back in Japan, ten years has passed since his death, and Toshi soon felt that there is nothing left for him here… no reason for him to linger. His parents have already passed on, and his fiancée had married his best friend.

By now, Toshi's Hollow status was one of which Soul Society would classify as a Menos –class Hollow. He isn't a Huge Hollow yet, but his size was at least twice the size of his original, looking more like a bear, rather than a raccoon dog now, due to the spiritual denseness that he gained from the souls and the Hollows that he devoured.

Opening a dark portal, he soon entered Hueco Mundo… the world of the Hollows. Upon his arrival, he was surprised to find out that Hueco Mundo… was like a moonlit desert… at least that's what his impression of the place was.

The sky was grey, the sand was grey… and everything was grey, with a few bare rocks scattered here and there. It was if he landed somewhere that resembled the Sahara or Kalahari Desert… only it looks like it is shrouded in eternal night.

He traveled through the desert… and strange enough, he once again gets the feeling that he was feeling watched and followed. Having experienced what this feeling would bring, he stood still, his body tensing up and eyes narrowed as he scanned his surroundings.

True enough, many Hollows soon appeared, each one looking different then the rest. Some of them were smaller than he is, and others were slightly larger than he was. But the look on their eyes are clear… they meant to have him as food.

Not wanting to end up food, he turned on the smallest of the Hollows, taking it by surprise and killing it, devouring it quickly, greatly increasing his strength.

Soon the plain erupted into a feeding frenzy with the Hollows there devouring each other, including Toshi, who was able to exploit the injuries of the Hollows as they fought to devour each other, by staying on the sidelines, or using his speed to dodge any incoming attacks. He did get injured a little, but thankfully none of his body was devoured by any of the Hollows, as they were too busy devouring each other.

When he had become victorious, due to the number of souls that the Hollows had in them, his appearance soon changed once again. He soon grew in height, growing as tall as a two story building, and a long flowing cloak flowed down his whole body, and he had large skeletal hands. He had unknowingly become a Gillian, the next step in Hollow evolution.

Surprisingly, while most Gillian lose their intelligence, Toshi was able to retain a little of his, and his mask remained unchanged throughout the transformation, and for another three years, he managed to survive, devouring Hollows, and his fellow Gillian, somehow evading the fate of being eaten through skill and a bit of good luck.

One day, after devouring his final Gillian, a change took place once again. He soon shrank, becoming more of a humanoid version of a raccoon dog, his mask reverting to that what he had as a regular Menos, while his body is lean and muscular, and was brownish black in color. This was his second transformation, to an Adjhucas class Hollow.

He continued to wander the plains of Hueco Mundo, until he heard the scrabbling of feet in the distance. Feeling curious as to what could have caused the noise, even though he knew it might be another beginning to a Menos feeding frenzy, he went anyway, and was astounded at what he found.

There was a group of Menos class Hollows, which cornered a pair of Menos class hollows, which looked to him like giant centipedes. Normally Menos class Hollows would spend their time trying their hard to devour each other, but these two centipede Hollows caught his attention because of their particular behavior. Both of them were trying to protect the other, though from their movements, one seemed to be hesitant or hiding behind the other one.

Having been in the same situation a few years ago, he quickly rushed to the two centipede Hollow's aid, taking the Menos that surrounded them by surprise as he tore through their ranks. He encountered little resistance of course, since he took them by the surprise, slaying and devouring the Menos class Hollows with ease.

Whether it is by luck or fortune, one of the Menos Hollows, one that looked like a spider managed to take a bite out of him, earning a painful yowl from him, before he retaliated, quickly slaying and devouring the spider Hollow.

At first, the two centipede Hollows were confused by this new Hollow, who looked like a humanoid with a raccoon dog mask decided to help them. It looked like he was an Adhjucas class Hollow, so why should it help them? But not wanting to waste the help that this new Hollow had provided them, both of them sprang into action, devouring any Hollows that were weakened by the Adjhucas's attacks.

Once the battle was over, one of the centipede Hollows approached him, and spoke in a clear, and gentle voice, making Toshi aware that both of the centipede Hollows were female. _"Thank you for your help…. Whoever you are… I and my friend were sure we are done for, fighting against so many of those creeps."_

Toshi just chuckled and shook his head. _"It's alright… I didn't know you two were female… if I knew I would be on their asses even faster. I tell you, Hollow or not, those who bully girls are creeps… I can't stand them." _He said with conviction, which made the two centipede Hollows feel rather embarrassed.

If they were human, they would have blushed already, and the second centipede Hollow actually curled a bit to hide its face, out of embarrassment.

The two female Hollows regained their composure after a while, and the first centipede Hollow addressed Toshi. _"Say… could you tell us your name? Mine's Loly Airrvine… and my friend there is Menoly Mallia… pleased to meet you!" _Her voice was now cheerful, not displaying any of the nervousness that she previously had in her voice.

"_MY name is Toshiyuki Kitano, but you both can call me Toshi, Loly-san, Menoly-san." _He spoke in his normal, friendly tone, which made Loly, if she could, smile in return. _"Say… how long have you two been here, anyway? I have been here for around ten years, before I became like this."_

The two Hollows turned to each other, and Loly shrugged before saying. _"I'm not sure how long we are here, Toshi-san… maybe around five years or so, before we became Menos Hollows. As to how we became a Hollow, I don't think me and Menoly remembers that much._"

She then looked thoughtful for a moment, before saying. _"How about you, Toshi-san? How did you become a Hollow? Can you remember how you became one?"_

Toshi looked thoughtful for a moment, and nodded. _"Well, Loly-san, Menoly-san… I can't really remember the whole thing, since my memory's a bit foggy, but I will tell you as much as I can remember."_

He then proceeded to tell the two of them as much as he could about his past life, well as much as he could remember that is. By the end of it, both females felt sad for him, and Menoly trembled. If she was human, she would have cried at the plight of this Adjhucas Hollow in front of them.

Loly was also sad after hearing Toshi's story, and she looked at her friend and nodded. He was their savior, no matter what… and after listening to his story, they were determined to stick by him always.

There was a short silence before Loly spoke up. _"Ano, Toshi-san? Have you heard about Las Noches?"_

Toshi looked confused and shook his head. _"No, I am afraid I don't, Loly-san? Where and what is this Las Noches? And what do we find there?"_

Loly looked at Toshi, listening to his question before she replied. _"Well, Toshi-san… Las Noches is the King's Palace in Hueco Mundo… recently there is a rumor of some Shinigami that came here from Soul Society… which is where the Shinigami live, bringing an object of power, that would allow all of us to become Arrancar, which would let us gain human form, and increased power as well. In fact, my friend and I were about to go there… or at least trying to make our journey there, when those creeps that you dispatched stood in our way."_

Toshi then gained a thoughtful look. _A way to gain human form, hmm? I could care less about the part where I will gain more power, but regaining my human form, might be good. Las Noches, eh? Seems like I have found somewhere where I need to go, after all. Oh well, it beats just wandering around this endless boring desert by a mile, I suppose._

He then looked at his female companions, and said. _"Well, it seems to me, that our next stop would be Las Noches then. Personally, I would definitely love to regain my human form… and I am interested in seeing these Shinigami that came to our world. Shall we, Loly-san, Menoly-san?"_

With that parting sentence, he started moving towards the direction of Las Noches, after getting the direction from Loly, and the three Hollows, one male Adjhucas, and two female Menos, started their journey to where they will become a form which would be stronger than their current one… an Arrancar.

End of Chapter 1

Please Read and Review.

Author's Note; Whew! Chapter 1 of my Bleach Fanfic is finally complete! Thank you for you senpai-tachi with the encouraging reviews to this kouhai! Well, I just want to make some things clear. One, I am not planning to make my OC a member of the Espada.

Whether he becomes a Fraccion of one, I am not sure yet, so please tell me what you think about it. Two, as you can see, Loly and Menoly are going to be future members of my OC's Harem, though I am considering Ying and Yang as well… maybe that unnamed Female Arrancar that guards the Hollow Fortress in the Anime. Oh, and maybe Nel as well. Might consider Sun-Sun from Halibel's Fraccion as well, as well as Circucci Sanderwicci.

Could you guys give suggestions as to who should be in his harem? Thanks, and please read and review. Your support and feedback means a lot to me… and oh, Flames will be ignored. Thanks guys, and cheers!


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to the wonderful Tite Kubo-sensei, while my OC… well, naturally belongs to me. This is my first Bleach Story, and as usual this is going to be slightly different from the Bleach canon. Just wanted you all to know that.

_Thoughts_

Speaking

_Hollow Speaking_

**Zanpakutou Speaking**

An Arrancar's Tale

Chapter 2

The three companions continued their journey towards Las Noches, their destination and their final goal. The journey itself was uneventful, and Toshi was able to learn more about his companions as they conversed along the journey to alleviate boredom.

Both Loly and Menoly cannot really remember as to when they actually came to Hueco Mundo, or as to when and how they became Hollows, but the thing they do remember is that both of them had been together since their arrival.

Toshi thought for a moment and then said. "_I see… does that make you both, twins or sisters or something? Because really, that is what I think you both are, from the information that you had just given me._"

Both Loly and Menoly looked at each other, and then Loly said rather thoughtfully. "_You know, Toshi-san… now that you mention it, neither Menoly nor I really thought about that ourselves. We have been here so long together, that we might have as well been sisters. At the worst case, we are best friends that will never leave each other's side. Right, Menoly-chan?_"

The other female nodded in agreement. "_Hai, Loly-chan._" She said softly, and turned to Toshi and said a little shyly. "_Both of us are friends, Toshi-san… and Loly and I, already consider you as our friend as well._"

Toshi fell silent after listening to his female companions' words. His next words were warm, and if he had a human face, he would have smiled at the warmth and sincerity that he could feel from them. Truly, he was glad that he had met the both of them, as their words had made him feel so much better, since his arrival in this dreary desert realm.

"_Thank you for your kind words, Loly-san, Menoly-san…_" He said warmly to them. "_You don't know how much that means to me, since my arrival here. I am truly blessed and fortunate to meet both of you, and I too, am glad to consider both you my friends as well._"

Both females suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, and Loly said. "_Ah yeah… sure thing, Toshi-san…_" Her tone was one of embarrassment and shyness, and it showed by the soft clicking of her feet as she shuffled around for a bit. "_A… anyway, let us go to Las Noches shall we?_"

Toshi just nodded sheepishly and replied. "_Well, I suppose so, Loly-san... let us go then._"

The three of them resumed their journey through the deserts of Hueco Mundo, and after some time, Loly said rather excitedly. "_Look Toshi-san! There is Las Noches… we have finally arrived!_"

She gestured excitedly, and Toshi had to admit, Las Noches was in itself a rather impressive structure. It was a white domed palace like structure, which stretched for quite a bit. This was where he is supposed to gain more power, and in a way, regain his human appearance. _Hollow Night Palace indeed…._ _this place is so large; I doubt any structure in the mortal realm could be as vast as this. Whoever lives in here is sure to be impressive, as well. _

As soon as they arrived at the gate, two guards, wearing an all white uniform blocked their way. The three of them noticed that the two guards had some kind of broken mask fragments on their faces, signifying that these two had probably gotten the power that they had been looking for.

One of them said sternly to them. "Halt! State your business here in Las Noches!"

Toshi stood in front of the guard and said politely to the guard. "_Greetings sir… I and my two companions mean no harm. We are merely here, because we heard that a group of Shinigami came here to Hueco Mundo, and that he offers us great power, to be stronger than we are right now. We seek that power, to be honest."_

The guard looked thoughtful for a moment, but considering the three Hollows that had come to receive the gift that the Shinigami had granted him, it wasn't surprising. After all, the news of a Shinigami coming from Soul Society to offer the Hollows an increased boost of power had indeed spread far and wide through Hueco Mundo, so it was natural that these three would come here as well.

That, and out of the three, the lead Hollow was an Adjhucas class Hollow, and the two behind him were Menos class Hollows. All of them have significantly higher power levels than him, and he wasn't going to risk his health, nor his newfound power and life by denying these three entry.

"Very well then, you three may pass…" The guard replied as he stood aside. "Just ask for directions, and I am sure my fellow guards would direct you to where Lord Aizen is, where he will turn you three into an Arrancar like me. Until then, I bid you all a good day."

Toshi thanked the guard and the three companions soon found themselves traversing the maze that is Las Noches. If he had any reservations that this was a palace, he had no such thoughts right now, and it was some time before they found the room that they were supposed to go.

Soon they were standing in front of a pair of gigantic double doors, and they hesitated for a moment, before the doors slowly creaked open, and a gentle voice, yet full of authority came from the interior of the open doorway. "Please, do come in my brother and sisters… let me take a good look at you. After all, it is your intention to seek me out, for the same reasons that your fellow brothers and sisters did, correct?"

The three companions were taken by surprise as to how the owner of the mysterious voice would know that they were outside the door, and of their intentions upon arrival at Las Noches. But then again, they recalled that other Hollows like themselves had come here before them, and it was entirely possible that whoever the owner of the voice was expecting them. Then again, it was also possible that the person had sensed their reiatsu, and so was expecting them to arrive.

They were hesitant at first, but seeing that they had come this far, they might as well proceed. They soon entered the room and there seated upon a throne of white marble… or what seemed like it was a man. Toshi noted to himself that the walls that made up Las Noches were also white, and made from the same material as the throne, he deduced.

The man was wearing a white jacket, white hakama and a black belt, and his brown hair was slicked back neatly. He had a benevolent look in his eyes, or incredible cunning, Toshi couldn't tell for sure. But one thing he does know is that this man was a formidable person. He then noted that there were at least two or three others in the room.

One was an old gentleman, who was rather muscular and well built despite his apparent age. He had scars on the left side of his chin and across his right eye. The remains of his mask were on top of his head, forming a five pointed crown, which made him look like an old and wise king. His outfit consists of a regal white coat with fur lining, short sleeves and three fur stripes running down the bottom. He also had an armband on both his wrists and a belt that consists of three thick chains attached to a metal disk that had a sun emblem on it. Toshi was surprised by the old Arrancar's appearance, since he resembled his paternal grandfather, if you take away all the scars, and the fact that the old gentleman was a Hollow.

Another was a male Arrancar, though he was younger than the first. He was also muscular, and had long wavy black hair that went to his shoulders, and a goatee that marked his features. His clothing was almost the same with every Arrancar that Toshi had met during their journey to this room, but the only difference was, he had his collar upturned. His zanpakuto, which was hung on his waist, was secured by a black sash that reminded Toshi of one of those matadors in Spain, for some reason. His Hollow mask consisted of a bottom jaw that he wore like a necklace. His hollow hole could be clearly seen underneath his mask.

What made Toshi feel surprised was that the way he presented himself. The way he slouched as he seated, made Toshi think that the man was in a state of perpetual boredom… it was as if he didn't care whether he was here or not. For some reason, he reminded him of a certain pineapple haired Nara genius in that anime show about ninja back when he was alive.

The third person was a short and slender male, who was slightly muscular. He had short messy black hair, though his expression was what Toshi would describe as melancholic. His skin was pale white, almost silvery in appearance, and his eyes were green and had slits as pupils, making Toshi wonder if he was a reptilian Hollow, before he became an Arrancar. There were teal lines that ran vertically down his eyes, making the impression that he was crying, and the perpetual frown completed the melancholic look that this male Arrancar had.

He was dressed in the same fashion as any normal Arrancar, with a slight difference. His coattails seemed to be slightly longer than the others, and his Hollow mask resembled a broken helmet on the right side of his head.

Last but not least was the final occupant of the room. Unlike the others, the last member was female. She wore the Arrancar's standard uniform, though adapted to suit a female's body. She had long wavy teal hair and the remains of her mask were a skull mask with horns that were perched on top of her head. She was quite… well gifted and had a figure that most human would kill to have, and Toshi found himself a bit entranced by her look, oblivious to the annoyed chittering of his female companions behind him.

The brown haired person then said once more. "Welcome to Las Noches, my brother and sisters… since you have traveled all the way here to seek me out, I suppose I have to reward you three for your diligence. Come forth, and receive your gift, one by one."

The three companions hesitated for a moment, before Toshi stepped forward and the man held a grey colored gem in his hand, and touched it to his mask, saying a single word. "Kujiku (Break)".

A rush of power soon surged into Toshi, like nothing he had ever felt before, and he felt heat spreading through his body, and he cried out as his body was changed once more, and he collapsed onto the floor, prompting a worried cry from his two female companions as they scuttled forward to see if their friend is alright.

"Do not worry, my sisters…" The brown haired man said calmly in a gentle voice. "Your companion is alright… look, he has been reborn."

He then pointed to the figure that lay on the ground and was slowly getting up. If they were able to blush, Loly and Menoly would have done so at the sight of their friend in his Arrancar form.

He was of medium height, and was lean and muscular, slightly taller than a certain green eyed Arrancar that was in the same room. His hair was neatly trimmed and combed, and his hollow hole was in the center of his chest, where his heart should be. His hollow mask, or what is left of it, is a left jawbone that clung to his lower cheek, and a gothic number **32 **was found on his right hip. Of course… the fact that he was naked did not register in Toshi's brain after some time.

His first sensations was strange, as he looked at his human hands, and he kept still, still getting used to the feeling of regaining his human appearance… until he felt a bit chilly, and he looked down, and blushed.

"Um, could anyone get me some clothes? It's a bit… drafty." He said with embarrassment, earning a short booming laugh from the old Arrancar, who got up from his seat and handed him the standard Arrancar uniform and said warmly, despite his rather stoic and grumpy appearance. "Here you go m'boy! And welcome to Las Noches."

Toshi blushed as he took the clothes from the old Arrancar and quickly put them on and then said in a reverent and polite tone. "Arigato, oji-sama."

Barragan Lusenbarn was surprised. He had been called many things, from Barragan-sama, to O-sama, to gramps by many Arrancar, though the last was rarely used, since the tone used to refer him as such was hardly respectful. But this young Arrancar, barely into his 30s in appearance, had called him grandfather, but in a very respectful and polite tone… but he could tell that was an affectionate note behind those words as well.

Feeling curious as to why it was so, he decided to satisfy his curiosity, and then asked the young Arrancar. "Tell me young one, why do you address me as grandfather? I know I am old, that is obvious… but I sense that there is a more personal reason you addressed me as such."

Toshi nodded and then said politely. "Forgive me if I have shown you any disrespect, oji-sama. It's just that you resemble my paternal grandfather, whom I love and respect very much in appearance. If that offends you somehow, I will address you with the proper designation from now on."

There was a silence, before Barragan chuckled and said with some amusement. "So that is why you addressed me as such… well, my boy, I normally would expect people to address me as Barragan-dono, or Barragan-sama… but I think I can make an exception for you. After all, it's not every day you find yourself addressed as grandfather so reverently. By the way… it seems that your companions have been converted as well… though I would recommend that you do not turn around for the moment, for the sake of your health, m'boy."

"After all, it would not do for me to lose a grandson this early, due to an unintentional accident." The elderly Arrancar said in an amused tone that made Toshi blush. He knew exactly what his grandfather figure here was mentioning about. If their transformations were similar to his, they were most probably naked and intentional or not, he wasn't feeling up to being bashed for being a pervert, even though he had no such thoughts.

It was some time before a female voice called out to him. "Ano… Toshi-san? You can turn around and look now… we are both decent." The words were spoken shyly, as Toshi turned, and Barragan chuckled at how his 'grandson' reacted to seeing his female companions.

Loly was slender with black hair that has two pigtails on either side of her head. She had light pink eyes, but what really caught his attention was her outfit, which consists of a white schoolgirl themed skirt, white half-sleeves worn from the elbows down to the wrists, and what appears to be thigh-length black-colored, white-outlined boots. She also wears a white-colored, black-outlined shirt that ties to her neck, reveals a fair portion of her stomach and breasts, reveals her arms from the shoulders down to the elbows, and not much else except material to barely cover her chest. A bold **33 **was seen on her left elbow, and the remains of her hollow mask covers her left eye, which still has some teeth, and what seemed to be a hair tie.

In comparison, Menoly's Arrancar uniform is more conservative, which consists of a white dress with a modest v-neck, an upturned collar and sleeves reaching her elbows, a black sash around her hips and shoes identical to that of Loly. There was a gothic **34 **that was on her left shoulder, though it was well concealed by the uniform that she wore. The remains of her hollow mask were identical to Loly's though it was on the opposite side, and without the hair clip, though there was the segmented choker, which Toshi guessed was part of her hollow mask as well. Her eyes were emerald green and her hair was blond, though it was short and spiky, with four flicks hanging over her mask remnant.

Despite himself, the words 'kawaii' left his lips, which made the two girls blush. Barragan chuckled and said. "Oho… so my grandson has found himself two pretty ladies of his own, eh? Good, good… do let me know when you three get together… I can't wait for the great grandchildren that are going to come after this." His tone was jovial as he teased the three youths.

"O, Oji-sama!/Barragan-sama!" The three people yelled in embarrassment, an atomic blush marking their faces, and Barragan laughed heartily at their madly blushing faces. His laughter was rather infectious, and even Aizen smirked at the new Arrancar's embarrassment, while Neliel just giggled. Ulqiorra however, remained his stoic self, not understanding why this scene was unfolding before him.

After the laughter had died down, Barragan turned to Aizen and then said. "Aizen-dono… as you can see, this new development… I would request that my 'grandson' and his two companions should be accommodated within my area in Las Noches… so that they will be close to each other. My fraccion and I will bring them up to speed in their combat training, so that when the time comes, they will be ready."

Aizen smirked to himself as he thought. _So… Barragan has formed an attachment with this new Arrancar… how interesting. Then again, this will be useful… this new boy and his companions would be the key for preventing Barragan from taking any action against me in the future… yes, the boy would be my insurance against a rebellion. I have always known that Barragan was disgruntled when I replaced him as the ruler of Las Noches… and now, the key to keeping him in check has fallen into my lap. This would be… an interesting time for all._

He nodded and then said pleasantly. "Of course, Barragan… how can I refuse the request of someone who has found someone that sees him as a beloved grandfather? You may lead them to your estates."

Barragan nodded gratefully and said. "Arigatou, Aizen-dono." He then turned and said. "Well now young ones… follow me, I will lead you to where you all are supposed to live from now on."

The old Arrancar soon rose to his feet, and then started to walk forward, and he opened the door of the chamber, and started to make his way back to his estates, where he and his six fraccion resided, his new 'grandson' and his two female companions following closely behind.

End of Chapter 2

Please Read and Review


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to the wonderful Tite Kubo-sensei, while my OC… well, naturally belongs to me. This is my first Bleach Story, and as usual this is going to be slightly different from the Bleach canon. Just wanted you all to know that.

_Thoughts_

Speaking

_Hollow Speaking_

**Zanpakutou Speaking**

An Arrancar's Tale

Chapter 3

As they made their way along the corridors, Toshi looked thoughtful for some time, occasionally at the ceiling of Las Noches, before looking straight forward as he continued walking.

Barragan, noticing his honorary grandson looking at the ceiling and immediately knew what he was thinking about. "I see that you noticed the ceiling that looks like a clear blue sky… does it bother you, grandson?"

Toshi looked at Barragan, and shook his head gently with a smile. "No, oji-sama… it doesn't bother me that much, though I do admit that I am feeling rather curious regarding its purpose. Why is it there a need to put an image of a clear blue sky on Las Noches' ceiling?"

Baraggan just snorted a bit derisively. "It is that Shingami's idea for one, the one that you saw in the meeting hall earlier. To be honest, I do not like the idea of a Shinigami lording over us… I was the original ruler of Las Noches, and the God-King of Hueco Mundo before that fledgling came around. But that is in the past now." He paused for a moment before he said. "I do not know why such frivolousness is set up here… but according to Aaroniero Arrueruerie, a fellow Espada, it is said that is a simulation of the blue sky seen in Soul Society or on Earth, wherever it is. Anyway, that is neither here nor there. What is more important now is that you three meet with my fraccion."

The three of them nodded and continued following Barragan through the corridors until they came to another set of double doors. Barragan nodded to them, and he opened the door and motioned for them to follow him inside.

When they entered they saw six people that were inside. One of them, a long haired blonde approached them, and bowed to Barragan. "Welcome back, Barragan-sama."

Barragan nodded and said. "It is good to see you again, Findor… how are things in my brief absence?"

Findor Carias looked at his liege and said. "Everything is going well, my liege…" He then looked at the three newcomers and then said. "If I may ask, who are they, my liege?"

"Ah yes… I was about to introduce them to you." Barragan said as he mentioned for Toshi and his companions to come closer. "Findor, may I introduce to you to my new adopted grandson, Toshiyuki Kitano, and his companions… or should I say potential mates… Loly Airrvine and Menoly Mallia." The last part was said in that same teasing note again, which made Toshi and the two girls blush again.

"Mou… Oji-sama… I thought I told you to stop that." Toshi said with some embarrassment. "Please don't take what grandfather had said too seriously, Findor-san… I suppose he has too much time on his hands, and can't help but embarrass his grandson in every occasion he can."

Findor Carias just looked at the new Arrancar that Barragan had adopted as his grandson with a bit of surprise and curiosity. Normally, such a form of disrespect would incite some kind of anger from the fraccion present. But it has been a while since he had seen Barragan act so… carefree and amused ever since that Shinigami usurped his position as the ruler of Las Noches.

Even the rest of Barragan's Fraccion was glad with the change in Barragan's demeanor, Charlotte Cuuhlhourn**e** mentioned how sparkling Barragan-sama looked now, and how marvelous he looks now that he is laughing more, which made Toshi and the girls sweatdrop about how he was spouting that flowery drivel, and al the while wearing some kind of skirt at the same time, while it was quite obvious that he was a man. They swore that they would do their best to avoid the man like a plague.

Both Nirgge Parduoc and Choe Neng Poww, despite their mild annoyance at how their new liege's grandson has slightly disrespected their liege, like Findor was glad that their liege was in a good mood once again, something that they had not seen since that Shinigami took over Las Noches.

Ggio Vega just grinned at the scene that was unfolding in front of him. It has been a while since something this fun and interesting has happened in Las Noches. Maybe because of he was a species of feline Hollow; he was feeling quite playful at the moment. He approached and then patted Toshi on the shoulder and said. "Well well, this is quite interesting. I never knew that an Arrancar, one that is newly minted like you could score with two pretty girls like them. I am impressed, new guy."

Both Loly and Menoly blushed slightly, though they shot a slight annoyed look at the newcomer. Even Toshi looked at the man that had patted his shoulder. The man was slim and had scruffy black hair with a short braided ponytail… and yellow eyes… just like a cat… and the remains of his Hollow mask, was like the top a Saber Tooh Tiger's skull, which he wore like a helmet.

Toshi looked at Ggio and he suddenly had an appraising look on his face for a moment, and he said. "You think so, nii-sama?"

Ggio was taken aback for a little, and then said curiously, though the smile never left his face. "Now why on earth why would you say that, new guy? Not that I mind you calling me that or anything."

"Well…" Toshi said with a slight embarrassed look, gently scratching his cheek with a finger, which made him look cure in Loly and Menoly's eyes, and said. "Back when I was alive, I was an archeology student and part of an expedition after all. I took paleontology as a minor, and well, I always admired great predatory cats… sabertooths especially… so you know where I am coming from when I acknowledge you as my nii-san."

Ggio's grin grew wider at that statement, and then said. "Hey, you're an alright guy, new guy. Stick with me, and I'll make sure that you'll go places in this outfit of ours."

A snort was heard and said. "You would do well to retract that statement, Vega… after all… you are the shortest amongst all of us… and in terms of power… yours is the weakest amongst us."

Ggio's eyes twitched and he glared at the speaker, which was one Nirrge Parduoc. "Oh, I beg to differ, elephant boy… I might not be as strong as you, but I got speed and power on my side. What have you got, brute strength?"

"Watch that tone, Vega…" Nirrge growled at the shorter Arrancar. "It would do well for you to cease provoking me, before you will regret it."

"Oh yeah, make me elephant boy!" Ggio said, grinning wildly. "Let's rumble…. I've been itching for a good fight anyway."

"Oh my… this is so dreadful… so not beautiful…this is horrible." A distressed voice caught their attention, though it creeped all of them out. "To think that my comrades would fight amongst themselves… this is so distressing." Charlotte said in a pose that SERIOUSLY creeped them out.

"You're the one that makes people distressed, Charlotte…" Avirama Redder commented, earning her an annoyed look from Charlotte.

"Don't speak ill of me, Redder… you're just jealous that I am so beautiful and your beauty can't compare to mine." Charlotte commented and Avirama snorted. "I'd rather be the same then to be as 'beautiful' as you are, Charlotte." He said sarcastically.

"That's it Redder…! You have insulted me one time too far!" Charlotte said growling as he powered up, before Barragan growled and said. "ENOUGH! You all should be ashamed, all of you. You all are acting like children… unbecoming of my Fraccion. Now I want you all to reflect about your actions, before I decide to punish you. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Barragan-sama…" The four of them said with an ashamed voice, which made Toshi and the two girls smile at how they looked like children that were scolded by a parent.

Barragan looked at them, and then said. "Now, the reason I am bringing my new grandson and his new companions here, isn't to make them part of our Fraccion."

That got his Fraccion's attention and Findor Carias, the strategist of the group said. "Oh? And why is that, Barragan-sama? I was assuming that you were intending to add their strength to ours. Then what purpose on you bringing them here to us?"

Barragan smiled at his strategist and said. "Well, Findor… I have never said anything at all about making my grandson a part of my Fraccion. What I merely said to that Shinigami is to train them so that they are combat ready, nothing more… so that is all that we will be doing. Though if bonds are made between them and you all, that is a good thing as well."

Findor smiled and nodded, since he understood that Barragan had really felt a soft spot for the new Arrancar, and he knew that all of them were going to be part of an interesting time.

For the next few weeks, Toshi and his female companions stayed under Barragan's roof, training hard with the Fraccion that was there. All of them had their own personalities, while all of them had things to teach them, they were especially close to a few of them.

Avirama Redder, while eccentric with his taunts and his weird ritual before a battle, was actually an alright fellow, since Toshi and the girls had learnt to defend themselves over someone that had an aerial advantage over them. Not to mention, he was one of the easiest to get along outside of battle along with Findor and Ggio in terms of attitude.

In Choe Neng Powe, they found that the giant man was actually a calm and philosophical man, and they enjoyed their time speaking to each other about a lot of things.

Findor Carias and Ggio Vega were considered their best friends amongst the Fraccion. The blonde masked hair man was always helpful, and being the group strategist, they had learn much about battle tactics with him, and learned to work as a team with his help. They mentally noted though that he does tend to say _Exacta_ a little too much, and wondered if it was a quirk that Findor had for a long time.

Ggio was the cool older brother that Toshi had always wanted, though the girls were sometimes annoyed with him with his occasional borderline perverted comments. But in spite of that the girls still loved the braided man all the same.

Charlotte Cuulhorne… they didn't really dislike him at all… he's just a little creepy that's all with his outfit and his shouting beautiful… not to mention his attacks are a mouthful to pronounce.

Nirgge Parduoc… now this was someone that they disliked quite actively, not just because of his attitude towards them in general. He was arrogant and rude, and he did not make an effort to befriend any of them, and did the bare minimum to teach them combat skills, and he was the harshest when sparring with them.

Nevertheless after several weeks, all of them have improved quite a lot in terms of combat skills, and they managed to improve the strength of their Hierro, as well as their Bala and Cero during that time.

Toshi and his female companions soon met with Barragan and the elderly Arrancar said. "It has been two months since you have been here, grandson… how have been adjusting to life here in Las Noches?"

"I must admit it, Oji-sama… that life within these two months have been quite interesting and fruitful as well." Toshi said truthfully.

Barragan nodded and said. "I see, well I am glad that you feel that way. But how about your female companions? Have they made the same observation as well?"

Loly nodded as she stood beside Toshi and said. "Indeed, Baragan-sama… I could not have asked for a better training opportunity, though I feel confident that we should be able to defend ourselves against any other Arrancar that tries to take our position… or belittle females for that matter."

Barragan smirked as he said. "Indeed… my future granddaughter…" The last part was said in a teasing note that made Toshi and both Loly and Menoly blush again. "But surely after the training you two had gone through with my Fraccion, I would imagine that there would be less people that would do that."

Toshi looked thoughtful for a moment, and then said. "I wouldn't count out that possibility just yet, Oji-sama."

Barragan had a look of surprise on his face, and he asked out of curiosity. "Oh? And why would you say that, grandson?"

Toshi just shrugged and said. "It is not my place to say, oji-sama… though either Loly or Menoly would be able to give you an answer about the matter, since they are more familiar about what I am talking about."

Barragan nodded and looked at Loly with a questioning look, and said calmly. "Well, granddaughter… do you have anything to explain about this matter?"

Loly just wondered just how fast her status had become a granddaughter in the old Arrancar's eyes. Not that she minded the status, since during this time, she and Menoly had become quite fond of the Arrancar that probably wasn't too far from them in terms of age. And they remembered the way he defended them when the first time, even though he had nothing to gain for himself.

That had certainly put him in their good books, not to mention that during the two months, he had been helping them in addition to his own training, and even took the harshest blows that Nirgge had dished out during their group sparring sessions that were intended for them on his own, which often knocked him out, and sent him to the infirmary more than one time.

The female Arrancar nurses were bemused at how much Toshi was sent to the infirmary, but they understood where his injuries were coming from. It is no secret that not many people could dish out this amount of damage.

Barragan's Fraccion, one Nirgge Parduoc was one… the rest were amongst the Espada, which included the Octava Espada, Nnoitra Jiruga, Sexta Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaguez, as well as the Decima Espada Yammy Rialgo. The three Espada were heavy hitters, though in comparison, the nurses were not particularly fond of the Octava and Decima Espada for very obvious reasons.

The Decima Espada was an arrogant brute that just liked to pick a fight, and his idea of testing his strength whenever he has recovered from the 'spars' he had with some of the other Espada was to take it out on the nearest female Arrancar nurse that was tending to him, which usually resulted in her death.

As for Nnoitra Jiruga, a lot of the female Arrancars inside Las Noches disliked the tall and lanky Espada, not only because he is rude, he also is quite the pervert, with the way he openly appraises the female Arrancars with a lecherous look, not to mention he had a very chauvinistic attitude, especially if the rumors surrounding him and the Tercera Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwank were true.

The nurses also thought that it was sweet for Toshi to have two female Arrancars to visit him regularly when he was recovering, and during their own interaction with the young Arrancar, they were impressed by his attitude towards women, as well as people in general. For an Arrancar… he seemed human enough and quite selfless as well. That alone earned him some admirers within the infirmary staff, though they knew that the two female Arrancar that visited them had basically staked their claim on him with their body language whenever they were around.

Loly and Menoly also remembered the way Toshi defended them from the unwanted advances of some of the Arrancar that were attracted to them because of their body, and the beatings they got sent a message not to trifle with them. That alone made both of them feel even fonder for Toshi, something that they weren't keeping a secret from him, by the way they acted around him.

To their delight, it seems Toshi was also enjoying their company, and through the two months, they also find out that he had some indication that he also shared their feelings about them, something that made them glad.

Putting that piece of good news in her mind, Loly looked at Barragan with a respectful manner and informed Barragan about what she had heard the other female Arrancars had said about Nnoitra, as well as the Octava Espada's disagreement with the Tercera Espada.

Barragan looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded. "Very well then… I shall caution Neliel regarding Nnoitra… though it is the time where you are to decide where your permanent living quarters is, is it not?"

"Indeed it is, Oji-sama…" Toshi said respectfully. "I hope you do not mind my decision to live separately from you after you have graciously taken the three of us in after our awakening."

Barragan chuckled and said. "Why should I mind, grandson… these two months have been quite an interesting time, and though it saddens me to see you three will no longer be amongst us, but do promise that you should drop by time to time to visit this old man… with my great grandchildren preferably." He teased them again, which let him to laugh loudly at their embarrassed looks and outcries. Seriously, his grandson and female companions were so easy to tease sometimes.

He then waited for a moment before he fixed them with a curious look. "By the way, I never did ask you where you intend to live inside Las Noches. I hope that it is not too far from here, eh grandson?"

Toshi nodded and said in a calm manner. "It isn't really too far from where we live right now, Oji-sama… and I think you are quite familiar with the place, I believe."

"Oh, and where would that be, grandson?" Barragan asked inquisitively.

"It's a place that is called Tres Cifras… Oji-sama… somewhere I found when I was returning from the infirmary after some rather intense sparring sessions that went overboard." Toshi said calmly, looking at Barragan with a calm expression on his face.

End of Chapter 3

Author's Note: Whewww! As all of you requested, this is Chapter 3 of An Arrancar's Tale, that I finally finished. Toshi and the girls had met and bonded with Barragan's Fraccion, though they were especially close with Findor Carias and Ggio Vega, Ggio especially in Toshi's eyes. I also hinted that the Toshi/Loly/Menoly coupling is coming into play in this chapter, which would be the main coupling in this fic. I might consider adding additional females in the running, though Nel, Cirucci as well as Halibel… I dunno yet. My ideas is for them to act as Toshi and the two girls' big sister figures, but let me know if you want them part of the harem. For your info the girls I am considering for the Harem are Ying and Yang, though I have to find a way to insert them into the story, as well as Harribel's Fraccion. Let me know what you think about this as well.

Well, that's it for now… see you guys next chapter ok? Cheers!


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to the wonderful Tite Kubo-sensei, while my OC… well, naturally belongs to me. This is my first Bleach Story, and as usual this is going to be slightly different from the Bleach canon. Just wanted you all to know that.

_Thoughts_

Speaking

_Hollow Speaking_

**Zanpakutou Speaking**

An Arrancar's Tale

Chapter 4

There was a short silence following Toshi's announcement, before Findor looked at them for a moment and asked. "If you would excuse me, Toshi-san… could you try and explain why you have chosen Tres Cifras as your permanent living quarters?"

"I too, want to know why you decide to live there, grandson… surely there are better places to live in that in that place." Barragan said in a thoughtful expression, though there is a little bit of disapproval and censure in his words at Toshi's decision, as though it was a bad thing to do.

Toshi and the girls looked a bit puzzled at this sudden change in attitude in their companions, and he said in a confused manner. "Why should I explain anything? I do not think that there is anything worth of explaining."

He paused for a moment and said. "And as far as I know, while the area in Tres Cifras isn't as good as the accommodations here… but it looks fine. So I don't think that there is anything wrong with us staying there."

Barragan sighed and said. "It is not my place to say anything grandson… but do you realize who exactly resides there?"

Toshi looked thoughtful for a moment, before nodding. "Of course, from what I heard, they are the Privaron, am I right Oji-san?"

Barragan nodded and said. "Indeed, grandson… since you know that, why do you still decide to stay there? Surely you and my granddaughters do not need to stay amongst the fallen?"

Toshi shook his head and said with a sigh. "Oji-sama… I respect you and thank you for you advice, though I must respectfully disagree with your opinion. If anything, it is more imperative that I and my companions stay there."

Barragan looked stunned for a moment, and fixed Toshi with a mild disapproving look. "Is that so? And why do you feel that way, grandson? Surely you know that I am only looking out for the best interests of the three of you."

Toshi nodded and said respectfully with a bow. "I understand that, grandfather… and I am grateful for your concern… but could you answer me something? Who are the Privaron, and why are they segregated away from the rest of us?"

Findor, the strategist of the group stepped forward and said. "Perhaps I can better explain that, Toshi-san. The Privaron are naturally formed Arrancar, unlike the rest of us who are formed by the Hougyouku. According to Aizen-dono…. They are obsolete to his plans, and that is why they were demoted from Espada to Privaron Espada and sent to live in Tres Cifras."

"I see…" Toshi listened thoughtfully before turning to them and said with a mildly serious expression on his face. "If that is the case, then it is even more imperative that I live there, for all our sakes then."

Barragan and his Fraccion looked puzzled at his statement and then said. "Whatever do you mean by that, grandson? And what does this have to do with your decision in staying in Tres Cifras?"

"Think of it, grandfather… what you are doing now is indirect discrimination against those who were here before us." Toshi said plainly for a moment, and then continued. "And haven gone through the process from a simple Hollow to an Adjhucas, I can already tell that it isn't an easy thing to achieve. Not to mention these demoted Espada became Arrancar on their own… that should tell us something about them."

He then paused for a moment again, before he said. "And before you say anything grandfather… the fact that they are able to remove their masks without any outside aid is already impressive in my books. Instead of alienating them, which Aizen-dono has done for some reason, the logical choice would be to befriend them and ally with them. That is what I intend to do."

He then bowed respectfully to Barragan and said. "I shall take my leave now, grandfather… these two months has been quite an enlightening one, and like I said earlier, I am honored to be your grandson. Please forgive me if I have displeased you in any manner. We will see each other again, hopefully soon."

He then bowed as well towards the six Fraccion, though he did so towards Nirgge rather grudgingly before he turned and left, and the two girls followed him closely after they had paid their respects as well, leaving Barragan with a thoughtful look on his face.

After some time, Barragan turned to his Fraccion and said with a curious tone. "Well… I assume you have heard what my grandson had said earlier and his views regarding the Privaron. What are your views on this current matter?"

"Your grandson is as always… foolish, Barragan-sama." Nirgge sneered a little. "No offense to you of course, Your Highness… but he is much to naïve and human like for the likes of us. Suggesting that the likes of the Privaron would be more powerful than us… Hah! What a joke!" He said in a displeased manner.

Barragan frowned a little at the disrespect that Nirgge had shown his grandchildren. Even though what he says is true somehow, Barragan's feelings towards his grandchildren had by now grown stronger, and he almost lashed out at his Fraccion for his show of disrespect. He then nodded and said in a neutral tone. "Your view is appreciated, Nirgge, thank you."

He then turned to Choe and said. "What are your views on this, my wise Fraccion?"

The tall Arrancar looked at his liege and said. "My liege, while I slightly disapprove your adopted grandson's views and his attitude towards you, I must admit he has me intrigued with his views. True, the Privaron were once former Espada who were demoted because of falling out of favor with Aizen-dono's plans… but the fact remains that like your grandson mentioned it before… is that they removed their masks naturally."

He paused for a moment before saying. "And while it might be true that we are stronger than them, we have not actually tested our mettle against them to see if we truly are the stronger breed of Arrancar. And the fact that they are able to remove their masks naturally, is no simple feat… which leads me to believe that they are not to be underestimated, like your grandson has mentioned."

Barragan nodded and then said. "I see… then what is your recommendation in lieu of this situation?"

"What I recommend is that we keep a close eye on the Privaron for now to gauge their strengths… if it is proven that they are at least on par with us, the wise move is to offer an alliance with them. It makes sense, since I do believe that they are just as disgruntled at the Shinigami as we do, Barragan-sama." Choe said thoughtfully.

"I second that move, Barragan-sama…" Findor added with conviction. "Whether or not they are on par with us, we still do not know. But I do know this… they would not pass up this chance to stand against the Shinigami if an eventual change in Hueco Mundo takes place. Making alliances is definitely more advantageous than making enemies… and if I recall the saying 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'… it would be the most logical course of option for us with the future in mind."

Barragan nodded and turned to his other Fraccion members and said. "Is there anything you all wish to add to what has been said earlier?"

There was a short silence as the remaining members of Barragan's Fraccion did not make any comments, and Barragan nodded. "Very well then, we shall adopt a wait and see policy towards the Privaron for now."

He then turned to Findor and Ggio and said. "I want you two to keep a close eye on them, as well as my grandson and his companions. Report to me about anything you find useful about the Privaron for our stance against them."

The two Arrancar nodded and said. "As you wish, Barragan-sama." They then withdrew and started talking to each other on how to go about carrying out the mission that their lord had just given them.

Meanwhile, Toshi and his companions walked through the corridors of Las Noches in the general direction of Tres Cifras.

Menoly and Loly was silent for some time as they walked, but after some time they found themselves unable to hold back the curiosity as well as their thoughts regarding what they had just witnessed earlier.

Menoly gently tugged at Toshi's sleeve for a while and said gently. "Excuse me, Toshi-kun? Could you, um… stop for a while? Loly and I have something to ask you."

Toshi nodded as he stopped walking, and then turned around. He gave Menoly a gentle smile and said. "Alright, you have my attention… what is it, Loly-chan, Menoly-chan?"

Both girls blushed slightly at the affectionate nickname that Toshi had given them, but Menoly said. "Well, both Loly and I were just thinking about what had just happened earlier… are those things that you have said… true? You know the part where you practically came to the Privaron's defense, even though none of them knows of this?"

Loly also nodded at her friend's words and said. "Indeed… I also felt a bit bad for the things you said to Barragan-sama. After all, he was the one who took us in to train and live with him in these past two months. The least you can do is to be more respectful to him, I think."

Toshi looked thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded. "I suppose you are correct, Loly-chan… and I am grateful that grandfather took us in and brought us under his wing. That and the things he has done for us is nothing sort of his way of caring for us."

He paused for a moment before saying. "But I still stand by my earlier decision. From what I have heard earlier, I came to the conclusion that while there is no mistake about the fact that Aizen-dono has made us strong, there is something going on around here. To suddenly demote three former Espada… ones that have come into their current natural state… either means that he feels that they are a threat to him, or he is trying to promote some kind of disunity inside Las Noches, whether or not it is intentional. Both scenarios are quite unfavorable in my opinion."

"What interesting theories that you have, newcomer…. I wonder… how loyal you really are to Aizen-sama, hmmm?" A voice interrupted them, and they could tell that it was spoken in a serious, but yet mildly amused tone.

The three of them stiffened slightly at the sudden appearance of the voice and they both turned round, and tensed up slightly at the sight of the Arrancar that stood before them.

He was dressed in the standard garb of any Arrancar, though the only difference is that they could not see any of his facial features, as it was concealed by his Hollow mask, which resembled the skull of a buffalo.

Toshi was the first one to speak and said in a polite, but yet guarded manner. "I would ask that you do not surprise us that way, Arrancar-san… whoever you are. While I and my companions are not exactly the trigger happy kind, our reflexes are a bit fast due to the nature of our training, as well as the lives we led as a Hollow before we became an Arrancar."

He paused for a moment before saying. "And isn't it a polite courtesy to introduce yourself first before you suddenly pop out like that? You might not think that it is important, but it does prevent misunderstandings, and miscommunications sometimes... which often leads to very bad things happening, in my opinion."

Rudobon was fairly amused by the words of this apparently newly created Arrancar. It is no secret that he is the leader of the Exequisas, in other words a special assassination squad and the de facto secret police of Aizen's army. While his stance towards these newcomers was fairly neutral at the moment, not to mention that they were under, at least if he heard correctly, Barragan Lusenbarn's protection, his comment about Aizen intrigued him.

In normal circumstances, he would have eliminated any Arrancar that would utter these very same words, though in this Arrancar's case, he was under Barragan's protection, and as powerful as he was, Rudobon was no fool. He doubted that he could face the might of the former king of Las Noches and his Fraccion and escape unscathed. No, the most viable option for now is to try and find out more about this new Arrancar's loyalty towards Aizen, and whether his comment that he had just uttered was something that is considered to be treason.

He then said in a neutral tone. "Well, I should say the same to you too, young one… but your words are not without merit. Very well then, my name is Rudobon… a member of Aizen-sama's army, and head of the Exequisas… in other words… the leader of the secret police and assassination squad of Las Noches."

Toshi and the girls tensed up, and Rudobon chuckled before waving them off. "Now, now please relax… I do not mean you three any harm… for now. I understand that you three are new here, and therefore unaware of whether what you are speaking of are the wrong things or not, so I will pretend I did not hear those words this time round."

He paused for a moment, before he asked. "Now what I want to ask is, about your earlier comments… are those comments proof about your loyalty, or are there just mere comments based on observation?"

Toshi looked at the Arrancar thoughtfully for a moment, before he said. "Well, Rudobon-san… I can honestly say that I do not mean any disloyalty when I made those comments… all I meant was the decisions that Aizen-dono has made might have repercussions in the unity of Hueco Mundo and the Arrancar in general."

Rudobon looked thoughtful at Toshi's comments for a moment, and grinned behind his mask. Before the former Shinigami captains came to Hueco Mundo, he was already friends with Dordonii Alessandro de Socaccio, or Dordonii for short, and he knew of his friend's rather disgruntled mood after he was demoted to Privaron, and he could tell that the other two Privaron, Cirucci Sanderwicci and Ganntebaine Mosqueda were also quite displeased about their demotion. Even though he did not want to admit it, he also felt it strange why his friend and the other two former Espada were demoted, when he believes that they would be able to contribute better as members of the Espada.

But still, he is now head of the Exequias, and such thoughts were unbecoming of him. He then nodded and said. "I see… very well then. I will accept that explanation for now, as I have mentioned earlier. I bid you all a good day."

He then turned and left, a smile hidden behind his Hollow mask. _So… that is Barragan's adopted grandson… he is as interesting as I heard him to be. There is no doubt that things are going to get interesting around here… though I do wonder what their reactions will be when they meet the Privaron… Dordonii especially. That should be a sight to see. _With that thought, the leader of the Exequias' leader's steps took on a slight spring, which led the other Arrancar that went out of his way to silently wonder what has made the leader of the assassination squad in Las Noches to be in such a good mood.

There was a silence following the leader of the Exequias' departure, and the three companions breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whew…. That was… scary to say the least." Loly said softly and Menoly nodded and said. "That's right… it's not everyday you find yourself face to face with the leader of the Exequias and live to tell the tale."

Toshi nodded, slightly shivering as he recalled Rudobon's words. He had no doubt that the Exequias leader wasn't being serious about his words to them at the time, though he also had no doubt that should the time come, he would be hard pressed to defeat him, even more so since that the three of them have no idea about how powerful the Exequais leader was, nor do they have an inkling of his abilities.

That alone made them mentally note to themselves that they have to be careful around the assassination squad leader, and they would be better off keeping him as a neutral party or an ally.

With that thought, they continued their journey in traversing through Las Noches' corridors, until they reached where they thought Tres Cifras was. As they walked around, they found that the blue sky like ceiling was gone from their surroundings, and instead, the ceiling was now the same dull grey color that Las Noches was famous for.

The corridors itself was full of gate like adornments, and it seems to them that they were passing through a series of gateways, which was an interesting way to build a chamber or place, in Toshi's opinion. Then again, with the many ancient sites that he has visited in the past when he was alive, this was like visiting one of them, and the three of them were so engrossed in looking around at the place, that they did not notice someone approach them.

"Excuse me nino, ninas… may I ask what you three are you doing here? Are you lost… by chance?" A well mannered and cultured voice was heard, which surprised them for a second time, and they tensed up slightly again as they turned around to confront the source of the voice… only to be surprised once again at the Arrancar's appearance.

Granted, with Rudobon's appearance earlier, this Arrancar seemed normal in comparison. He has black hair and blue eyes, which wasn't really surprising. What was interesting was the way his hair was shaped, which had two 'horn' like shapes on top, and he sported a set of thin moustache and a goatee. Not to mention that the remains of his Hollow mask were shaped like a pair of horns on his forehead, and suddenly a very familiar image comes to mind.

He mentally counted off the things that he noticed about this person_. Dressed in white uniform that all Arrancar's wear, though he wears it like an aristocrat, Check. Hairstyle is slightly spiky with two tips shaped like horns, Check. Remains on his Hollow mask on his forehead has two points that are also shaped like horns, Check. Thin moustache and a rather classy looking goatee, Check. Has aristocratic looking features, Check. I am afraid to confirm the identity of this person, though considering where we are right now; it isn't very surprising at all._

Toshi then looked at the person and then said in a polite inquisitive manner, using a bit of Spanish that he had learned before when he was alive. "Excuse me, Senor..." He paused for a moment, before he continued. "Are you the Diablo of legend that is often spoken of in stories?"

Both Loly and Menoly's eyes widened at Toshi's sudden question at the Arrancar in front of them. As they studied his features, they also came to the same conclusion as Toshi, and they watched this new Arrancar very closely, their postures slightly cautious, and ready to react to any sudden moves that he might make.

The new Arrancar fell silent for a moment, and then let out a soft chuckle, which gradually grew to full blown laughter, and Toshi and the girls felt both puzzled and amused at the Arrancar's reaction.

After a while, the Arrancar stopped laughing and said in an amused tone of voice. "Oh nino… it has been some time since laughed like that. Calling me the Devil… that is not very nice you know… you shouldn't say such things to people. They might be offended and try and assault you for such a comment."

Toshi grinned despite himself at this Arrancar's attitude. The way he carries himself, and the way he talks reminded him of one of his eccentric, but friendly uncles. He then said. "True… but then, I don't see you try and deny it, nor try to assault me because of that now, do I?"

He then paused for a moment, before he continued the grin still apparent on his face. "Now then, since we can't call you _Senor_ Diablo, since you are apparently not him… could you then please introduce yourself to us? Calling you Arrancar-san gets old after a while, don't you think?"

The Arrancar just chuckled and said. "You are an interesting one, _nino_… I like that. Very well then… I suppose it is only polite that I introduce myself to the three of you."

He then gave them an aristocratic bow and said in a polite manner. "My name is Dordonii Alessandro de Socaccio, Arrancar _cientecimo tercero, _Privaron Espada at your service."

End of Chapter 4

Author's note: Here's Chapter 4! Hehe. In this chapter, we get to see Barragan's Fraccions' reactions of how Toshi trying to rationalize his disagreement at how the Privaron were treated, and it seems with Nirgge's exception, some of them are favoring the idea, and some chose to stay neutral about it. And also our trio meets Rudobon, who seems only intrigued at Toshi's views about the things Aizen has done in Hueco Mundo. Will he be an ally or stay neutral in the future? You have to stay with this fic to find out. And finally they meet the goofy member of the Privaron, Dordonii… and you can bet that in the next few chapters they will meet with the other two members of the Privaron as well. Stay tuned guys, and Cheers!


	6. Announcement

Announcement

Hey there people... it's been a while I updated, I know. I just wanted to let you all know that I am undergoing a lot of RL issues, some good and some bad. But I want to reassure all of you that I have no intention in giving up updating my stories, and I am in the process of writing up chapters for some of them.

I ask that you all bear with me, since updates are going to be quite slow, but I will try to crank out chapters like I used to alright. Once again, I apologize for the delay in updates for all my stories.

My apologies and best regards

Andy a.k.a steinerdavion2183


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